Where we buy lots of our sensory Toys

Sites I Recommend

Sibs

Nothing massively interesting to talk about today but I’m feeling quite productive because today I contacted the Sibs charity to find support for Elsa, emailed Jude’s school offering my help in anyway that may be useful and registered Jude onto some SNAP summer holiday days (http://www.stalbansmencap.org.uk/snap-home/4577429430). SNAP is a branch of Mencap and they run holiday day camps, Saturday clubs and childcare for disabled children. He’s been to their summer camps a few times and always had a nice time, especially on the day trip days; last summer they went to a farm and had a picnic and he particularly enjoyed that.

I was re-reading the Sibs website and they give you the chance of hosting your own local sibling groups. If this would help children like Elsa around here then I’d definitely be up for running groups, it would be amazing to support that many people myself and I know Elsa would enjoy organising something like that and meeting other children with a disabled brother or sister. Sibs give lots of information about skills you need to run groups as well as offering training days so people are confident in bringing a child out of themselves and encouraging them to open up and chat to the group about issues they find important. What does annoy me, and it isn’t Sibs fault, is the funding. It states that the council are unlikely to fund these sorts of groups but WHY NOT?!?! This level of therapy, and it is a type of therapy, is essential for lots of children so why doesn’t the council deem it important enough?! Drives me mad. Reflecting back on my previous comments about mental health of parents, surely funding a few social groups for siblings of disabled children will save a huge amount of money down the line and potentially build support networks that can last a lifetime.

It would also be amazing for her to meet children similar to her, who have the challenges she faces with having a disabled brother. It may be quite salubrious to discuss anything that’s on their minds with neutral friends who definitely won’t judge you. On the Sibs website they also have some great game ideas to help break the ice with a new group of children but also games that children can play just at home. I’m going to give some of them a go tomorrow with Jude and Elsa as yesterday, for the first time in AGES, Jude and Elsa played a game together really nicely. Shock horror!! I bought a box of Magnetix and they made up shapes like they used to always do with lego…might invest in some other constructiony type activities for them. See if the white flag can be waved again.